Karim Lopez, No. 1 international recruit for 2026 NBA Draft, discusses his future

Karim Lopez, a top-20 recruit in the 2025 class and the No. 1 international recruit in the 2026 NBA Draft, is headed to the New Zealand Breakers as a part of the NBL’s Next Stars, he announced on Friday.

Lopez, a 6’8”, 195-pound wing, is considered the “future face of Mexican basketball and a potential lottery pick” by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, as his overall set of traits makes him an appealing prospect in the 2026 draft.

More importantly, Lopez is just 17 years old and is now expected to play the next two seasons in the NBL before being eligible for the 2026 NBA Draft.

What led the wing to choose the professional route over potential college options? We had a chance to talk to Lopez at Under Armour’s Next Elite 24 event in Brooklyn.

Behind the decision

“I’m really excited to go there,” Lopez shared. “It was a tough decision between a lot of places, a lot of different programs. But I mean, I feel like that’s the best decision for me because it’s a great place. The [NBL’s] next stars program looks great and it’s been proven already with the No. 2 pick [Alex Sarr].”

The Next Stars program has been a staple over the past few seasons, with a number of top high school recruits electing to go the professional route over college in hopes of better preparing for the NBA.

Lopez referred to Alex Sarr, who was a top international prospect last year and ultimately chose to join the Perth Wildcats as a part of the NBL’s Next Stars program. From there, he developed and cemented himself as a top-three pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, going No. 2 to the Washington Wizards this offseason.

In addition to Sarr, the Next Stars program had two other players drafted this past offseason as AJ Johnson went No. 23 overall to the Milwaukee Bucks, while Bobi Klitman went No. 37 to the Detroit Pistons.

Prior to this year, the Next Stars program has also hosted the likes of LaMelo Ball, who went No. 3 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft and Josh Giddey, who went No. 6 in the 2021 NBA Draft.

What Lopez brings to the court

Heading to New Zealand, Lopez brings an intriguing skillset with him, as the 6’8” wing has playmaking ability with good ball-handling skills, while possessing versatility and strong two-way capabilities with his athleticism.

He can be more assertive at times, possessing a good overall feel for the game, but his ability to handle the basketball, matched with his impressive shooting at that size makes for a high potential player in the future.

Defensively, Lopez is versatile as well, as his long frame and athleticism allows him to play bigger than his size may indicate and he can defend against guards as well.

Playing against some high competition at the Under Armour’s Next Elite 24 this weekend, Lopez’s versatility was seen, as he saw minutes in more of a forward/center role, being used as a roller in the pick-and-roll, while inserting himself at both ends where he was needed.

“Versatility [is big for me],” Lopez said. “The coach asked me to play the five [and] to play the four. I was a five at the end, so, I said ‘okay, I’ll do it.’ And I think I made winning plays. It feels great to show my versatility to all these scouts.”

Additionally, on the defensive end, the wing was tasked with guarding ball-handlers, holding his ground against some of the top guards in attendance, while making plays at the rim as well, recording a nice block after recovering well. On Friday during the scrimmages at the Under Armour’s Elite 24, Lopez’s “Team Ice” came out the winners in a competitive environment.

“I was just trying to prove I can make winning plays all the time,” Lopez said. “I can play winning basketball. That’s it, man. We got the win.”

Moreover, Lopez has been praised for his instinctual efforts and motor on both ends of the court, which should fit in quickly into a professional capacity with the New Zealand Breakers.

But, the Mexico native knows that he must prove himself at that level first, and is eager to win minutes with his new team.

“I want to win minutes on the court. Nothing’s given,” Lopez said. “I want to make winning plays because that’s what coaches like and also be more mature in my game. I already played in the Olympic qualifiers, so I feel ready for that [professional environment].”

Representing his country

Lopez currently plays for Club Joventut Badalona in Barcelona, but is a native of Mexico City and has represented his country in the FIBA Championships with the U16 team, as well as in the Olympic Qualifiers.

In 2023, at the FIBA U16 Americas Championship, Lopez shined, averaging 20.5 points and 12.2 rebounds in six contests.

That followed his performance in 2022 at the Centrobasket U15 Championship, where he averaged 15.2 points and 9.8 rebounds in five games for the national team.

Being touted the future face of Mexican basketball, the 6’8” wing is highly regarded in his country and carries that with pride.

“I always represent Mexico,” Lopez said. “For me it’s a different feeling because I’m representing the whole 120 million people. So I feel like it’s pressure but it’s a good pressure.”

Now, he has the chance to continue that legacy at his next stop in New Zealand as a part of the Next Stars program, with the NBA Draft well within reach for the talented prospect.